Home Blog Page 3537

Iran Finishes 4th at Int’l Brain Bee Contests

July 14, 2018

Mahsa Arman managed to secure the fourth place at the event which brought together participants from 25 countries.

The contest was held in parallel with a conference of the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies.

The IBB contests are held every year in a different country in conjunction with a neuroscience conference, ISNA said in a Saturday report.

For a brief review of Iran’s achievements in various fields of science and technology, check the book “Science and Technology in Iran: A Brief Review”

It brings together ingenious school students from around the world and prepares the ground for the promotion and development of disciplines associated with cognitive sciences.

National Brain Bee competitions are also held in Iran. The contests are organized by the Iranian Neuroscience Society in cooperation with the Education Ministry. The competitions are held every year in two phases in all provinces.

Iran’s Top General to Visit Pakistan

IFP Editorial Staff

July 14, 2018

The visit will be made upon invitation by Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Fars News Agency reported on Saturday.

During the visit, Baqeri and his Pakistani counterpart will discuss latest developments in the region and explore ways of strengthening bilateral defence ties, border cooperation and anti-terror coordination.

The two generals will also follow up on agreements made during the visit of Bajwa to Iran last year.

The visit comes against a backdrop of improved border cooperation among the two countries, which has led to reduced attacks against Iranian troops in southeastern Sistan and Baluchestan Province by terrorists residing in Pakistan.

The border was a source of considerable tensions between Tehran and Islamabad, with Iran complaining Islamabad is lax in controlling the border.

Tabriz; Must-See Capital of Islamic Tourism in 2018

IFP Editorial Staff

July 14, 2018

tabriz2018-40 — The Municipality (Clock) Square located in front of the Municipality Palace also known as the Clock Building

Tabriz is the largest city in northwest of the country and regarded as the administrative, industrial, trade, military, communications, commercial and cultural hub of that region. Tabriz used to be one of the longest-serving capitals of Iran. It was Iran’s political capital during the rules of Atabaks, Khwarazmians, the Ilkhanate, Safavids, etc., and was the capital of crown princes during the Qajar era.

Tabriz’s development and progress peaked during the Ilkhanate rule when the city served as the capital of a vast territory spanning all the way from Nile to Central Asia. Tabriz was the world’s fifth most populated city in 1500 BC during the Safavid era when its population was as large as that of Istanbul, the capital of the Ottoman empire.

Tabriz was named by the OIC as the tourism capital of Muslim World in 2018.

The following pictures retrieved from ILNA depict some of the city’s historical and natural tourist attractions as well as the city’s bazaar.

1 of 40

Iran to Implement “Comprehensive Plan” for Countering US Sanctions

IFP Editorial Staff

July 14, 2018

The package, named the Comprehensive Plan for Countering Sanctions, was delivered by Mohammad-Baqer Nobakht, the head of Planning and Budget Organization of Iran

According to a report by IRNA, the package, comprising 12 sections, outlines different scenarios for the imposition of US sanction and discusses how government bodies should work together to nullify their effect.

The plan contains measures for boosting domestic production, creating jobs and fighting extreme poverty.

It also offers solutions for supplying basic goods and energy to the nation, transferring goods, assisting industries and boosting trade under sanctions.

The plan has been devised by experts at the Planning and Budget Organization in consultation with academics and economists.

The remaining parts of the plan will be delivered to the president soon, Nobakht said.

The plan should be ratified by the supreme council for economic coordination of the three branches of power.

US President Donald Trump has vowed to return anti-Iran sanctions suspended under the nuclear deal, and push Iran’s oil exports to zero in the upcoming months.

Some sanctions take effect after a 90-day “wind-down” period ending on August 6, and the rest, notably those affecting the petroleum sector, after a 180-day period ending on November 4.

Senior US officials are pressing allies in Europe, Asia and the Middle East to adhere to the sanctions and reduce their oil supplies from Iran.

US Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin on Friday threatened the US considers imposing sanctions on China and other countries if they keep up purchasing Iranian oil.

“Iran to Immediately Leave Iraq, Syria Once Their Governments Ask”

IFP Media Wire

July 14, 2018

“Iran’s presence in Syria and Iraq is advisory and if their respective governments want it, we will leave (the Arab countries) immediately,” Velayati said on Friday, according to the Arabic-language al-Mayadeen TV Network.

He further referred to demands by US officials that Iranians should exit from Syria and Iraq, saying that the Islamic Republic is not present in the Arab countries upon the US’s request so as to leave at Washington’s demand.

“Iranian military advisers will leave Syria if the Syrian officials say they do not need their presence,” he added.

However, he warned that if Iran and Russia were to leave Syria in the current situation, terrorism would return to the Arab country again.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Velayati highlighted a plot hatched by the US to disintegrate Iraq and Syria and said, “The US is seeking to divide Iraq into three parts and Syria to five.”

In recent years, the Middle East has been plagued with Takfiri terrorist groups like Daesh (ISIL or ISIS), which are believed to have been created and supported by the West and some regional Arab countries.

The terrorist groups, which claim to be Islamic but whose actions are anything but, have been committing heinous crimes not only against non-Muslims but mostly against Muslims in the region.

Iraq and Syria have been among the countries gripped by terrorism.

Iran, a close ally of the two countries, has supported their legitimate governments in their campaign against foreign-backed militancy and terrorism.

Spanish Tourists Getting More Interested in Visiting Iran: Official

IFP Editorial Staff

July 14, 2018

Jorje, a Spanish tourism official, says over the past two to three years, Iran and Spain have had good relations in tourism and the ties are expected to get closer in future.

In an interview with the Iran Newspaper, Jorje also warned about the negative impacts of the US decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal on Iran-Spain tourism relations.

Over the past three years, 30,000 Iranian and Spanish tourists made mutual visits, he noted, stressing that 20,000 were Iranians and 10,000 were Spanish.

Iran and Spain have signed at least 20 memorandums of understanding in tourism since Iranian President Rouhani took office about six years ago.

“All states are waiting to see what will happen to the Iran nuclear deal following the US withdrawal,” he noted.

Iran and the three European signatories to the JCPOA are involved in intense talks over the future of the Iran nuclear deal after the US pullout.

Earlier, Iranian airliner Mahan Air said it is intending to establish another direct line between Iran and Spain.

Jorje says given the current political pressure on Iran, he is not sure whether or not the airliner can launch a new line and added, “If Iranian airliners are banned by the international law, Spain has to sign agreements with other alternative airliners for transporting tourists between Iran and Spain.”

“We have to wait for at least next few months to see what the fate of the JCPOA will be,” he noted.

He underlined that the two sides are still seriously involved in expanding their mutual ties in tourism.

Jorje slammed the US media’s negative propaganda about Iran for a lack of understanding of the country among most Spaniards.

According to Jorje, Spain has about 80 million tourists, which is equal to Iran’s whole population. Spain is the largest EU country hosting Muslim population after Britain, France and Germany.

He said Iran is a relatively cheap country for the Spaniards and can easily attract further Spanish tourists through appropriate advertisement.

Today, the number of Iranians visiting Spain per week is too low and the Iranian travel agencies transporting tourists to Spain maintain that this is due to the fact that Spain hardly issues visa to the Iranian tourists.

Iran Condemns Deadly Attack in Pakistan

IFP Editorial Staff

July 13, 2018

In a Friday statement, Qassemi denounced the attack and offered condolences to the government and people of Pakistan as well as the families of the victims.

At least 85 people were killed Friday in a bomb explosion that hit a campaign convoy in Mastung town, near the provincial capital of Quetta, the day’s second attack on a political event ahead of the upcoming election.

Over 150 people were also injured in the bombing claimed by the ISIS Takfiri terrorist group.

The blast also killed Siraj Raisani, the younger brother of former provincial chief minister Mir Aslam, who was running for a provincial assembly seat with Balochistan Awami Party (BAP).

Earlier on Friday, four people were killed and 39 injured after a bomb hidden inside a motorcycle went off near the campaign of a Pakistani politician in the country’s northwest town of Bannu near the Afghan border.

According to Pakistani police, the blast hit the convoy of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) candidate Akram Khan Durrani, who survived the attack.

Iran, Afghanistan Discuss Joint Fight against Terrorism, Narcotics

IFP Editorial Staff

July 13, 2018

The meeting was attended by high-ranking delegations of both countries led by Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Seyyed Abbas Araqchi and Deputy National Security Advisor to the Afghan president Yama Karzai.

During the talks, the two sides discussed the problems and security threats facing the Middle East region as well as ways of cooperation to counter the existing threats, especially terrorism and narcotics.

They also stressed the need for further consultations and coordination between security agencies responsible for fighting terror, control borders and combat narco-trafficking as well as organized crimes.

Watching FIFA World Cup Match Only Result of Netanyahu’s Moscow Visit

IFP Editorial Staff

July 13, 2018

Ray Al-Youm said in a recent article that Netanyahu’s only achievement during the visit was that he managed to watch Britain-Croatia FIFA World Cup match in the stadium.

“During his meeting with Putin, Netanyahu desperately asked him to make Iranian forces in Syria leave the country but once again his demand remained unanswered,” Rai Al-Youm was quoted as saying in a report by YJC.

According to the newspaper, Israel’s call for withdrawal of Iranian forces from Syria seems illogical particularly after the successes achieved by Iran and its allies in the war-torn country.

Netanyahu visited Moscow this week for the third time since the beginning of 2018 to desperately convince Putin to make Iranian forces leave Syria because Tel Aviv regards Iran’s presence in Syria as a threat to its entity.

“Netanyahu’s demand was rejected once again and the only achievement of his visit to Moscow was to watch Britain-Croatia match in the semifinal stage of the World Cup,” the report said.

The newspaper added Putin is not Netanyahu’s servant to follow his orders. “Meanwhile, withdrawal of Iranian forces from Syria is not in the interests of Russia because it would have dire consequences for Russia including the destruction of all the achievements made so far in Syria and the Western Asia.”

Rai Al-Youm raised this question why Putin should meet Netanyahu’s demand. “Russia regards Israel as the strategic partner of the US and the main source of instability in the region.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov dismissed Israel’s demand on Iranian forces as hegemonic and bullying. “This means Russia doesn’t regard the demand as relevant and its response to it is fully negative,” the paper said.

Iran has been offering military advisory support to Syria at the request of the Damascus government, enabling its army to speed up its gains on various fronts against terror groups. This comes as Israel has frequently attacked military targets inside Syria in what is widely viewed as an attempt to prop up the terrorist groups that have been suffering heavy defeats at the hands of Syrian soldiers.

“The main question lingering in mind is that does it make sense for Iran to pull out its forces from Syria after accomplishing its mission in Syria and supporting Syrian forces to retake over 90 percent of the militant-held areas in the country? Or Iran is to pay a price by being sanctioned by the US and its allies?”

Now observers are speculating about Israel’s next move. Having received a repeated negative response from Russia, will Israel move toward an all-out war and deploy its forces to Syria?

Israel has received two heavy defeats by Hezbollah Movement in Lebanon in 2000 and 2006. It also failed to press ahead with its missions in Gaza for at least three wars it imposed on the impoverished enclave. Now, the question is does Israel have any chance in Syria which is backed by its regional ally Iran?

It seems the only option available for Israel is to continue its airstrikes in Syria. But the airstrikes have turned out to be futile because they have failed so far to achieve their main goals: Fleshing out Iranian forces from Syria.

As things stand, Iran’s advisory presence in Syria will not be high on the agenda of talks between the US and Russian leaders’ summit in Helsinki next week. The two leaders are expected to discuss Syria’s situation after ISIS, a situation in which Israel is among the main losers.

Lari House in Yazd: A Luxury Residence for Qajar Aristocrats

Fatemeh Askarieh

July 13, 2018

The 150-years-old mansion, built in late Qajar era (1785–1925), is one of the best preserved houses in the city.

The house was built for a well-known Yazdi merchant named Mohammad-Ebrahim Lari in the 19th century.

This monument, rich in architectural elements exclusive to the Qajar era, is registered in the list of Iran’s national heritage sites.

The mansion covers an area of about 1,700 square metres and consists of six separate houses, each with its own door, and three courtyards.

The stained-glass windows and latticed doors of the house combined with the delicate mirror work and wall and ceiling paintings found all around the house makes it a splendid example of residential homes belonging to the Qajar-era affluent.

Moreover, the ceilings of this house have also been embellished with mirrorwork and paintings with European and Qajar themes.

The northern part of the house was used as winter quarters and the southern part, which has a spacious hall and wind tower was used as the summer quarters. The eastern wing of the house was used as autumn quarters and the western quarter was the wing used in spring.

The rooms of the Lari House are situated around the main courtyard, which has a large pool in the center and is modestly filled with plants and trees.

The house also has a big basement, which is ventilated by the wind catcher and remains cool during the warmer months of the year.

UNESCO registered the historical city of Yazd on its list of World Heritage Sites in 2017.

What follows are photos of the Lari House retrieved from Karnaval.ir:

1 of 17